Furniture



June 5, 1945. A M. TUCKER y2,377,464

FURNITURE Filed Nov. 26, 1942 JNVENTOR.' MoH/ws TUCKER ,4 TTOQNEY Patented June 5, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT yOFFICE FURNITURE Morris Tucker, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application November 26, 1942,4 Serial No. 466,992 claims. (c1. 54244) This invention relates to furniture. More particularly, the invention pertains to furniture springs, such as bed and chair springs, which afford a horizontal resilient supporting surface.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved spring of the character described, which is comfortable to a high degree, easy and economical to manufacture, assemble and install, rugged in construction, and highly elcient for the purpose set forth.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a spring of the character described which will readily lend itself to construction from wood or similar non-metallic materials. y

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring of the character described in which a weight is locally supported on a portion of a spring surface in a novel manner.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplied in the constructions hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are shown various possible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a bed' spring constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse view thereof taken substantially along they line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a corner of said spring; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 of a spring embodying a modified form of my invention.

Heretofore, the stress applied by the weight to the top surface of a spring was transferred to the spring frame through the spring surface and resilient connecting means between said surface and the frame.

In accordance with the present invention, the stress is transferred through the spring surface to one or more relatively stiff members connected to the spring surface and thence to the spring frame through said members and resilient means interconnecting the members and the frame.

More speciflcally the invention is effected by forming the top surface of the spring from a large number of closely spaced, parallel, resilient, elongated elements, and supporting these elements upon transversely disposed, relatively stiff crosspieces which are unconnected to each other save through the elongated elements. The crosspieces, in turn, are resiliently supported upon a spring frame.

Referring now in detail to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. l through 3, Ill denotes a bed spring constructed in accordance with my invention. Said spring includes a frame coinprising head and foot rails I 2, I4 and side rails I6, I8. The rails are of rectangular cross-section and are fabricated from wood. They are connected to each other in any manner well-known to the art to form a rectangular spring frame of .proper size to be neatly received in a bed frame and rest on the slats.

The surface of the spring I0 comprises a large number of resilient, elongated, parallel, closely spaced, flat-topped elements, such as thin Wooden strips 20, which afford a good bearing surface for a mattress. Said strips are supported at transversely aligned points spaced along their length by a plurality of relatively stiff crosspieces 22 arranged transversely of the elements. These cross-pieces can be made of Wood but are considerably thicker than the strips 20, since they must be strong enough to support appreciable weights without buckling. The strips and crosspieces are secured to each other by screws 24. If desired, the centers of the cross-pieces may be apertured as at 26 to enhance the appearance of the bed spring, reduce its weight, and increase the flexibility of the trusses. I

Both ends of the cross-pieces are centrally recessed to provide horizontally extending upper legs 28 and lower. legs 30. The upper legs 28 overlie the side rails I6, I8,cf the spring frame so that some strips 20 may be positioned to cover said frame and thus present a spring surface of approximately the same size as the frame.

The lower legs 30 underlie the side rails I6, I8. Ifv desired, said legs and the bottom edges of the cross-pieces may be located higher than the bottom of the 'spring frame' in order to prevent interference between said cross-pieces and the .bd slats (not shown). In such case, since the overall length of each cross-piece including the legs 3U is greater than the distance between the side rails I6, I8, said rails have vertical cut-outs 32 formed therein to freely receive the legs.

The several cross-pieces 22V are independently supported adjacent their ends from the side rails I6, I8 by resilient means such as the helicalmetal springs 34. Said springs are provided with hooks 36, 38 at their upper and lower ends. The upper hook hangs on a pin 40 lying in a horizontal bore 42 in a side rail I6, I8. The lower hook 38 supports an eyelei-l 42 screwed to a lower truss leg.

By employing the foregoing construction, when a weight is placed on a local portion of the spring.

surface, for example the point A, the element or elements under the weight deflect the two crosspieces 22 lying to either side of the weight. The load strain thus imposed-on each cross-piece by the weight is transferred by the cross-piece to the helical springs 34. If the weight and deflection of these two cross-pieces is appreciable, the elements will also be deflected beyond said two cross' pieces and impose a load stress upon the two cross-pieces next closest to the weight. These next cross-pieces will in turn transfer such stress to the helical springs `34 on which these crosspieces are suspended from the side rail I6, I 8. Thus, the load stress arising upon application of a weight to the spring surface is not transferred across the surface to the frame, but is taken up by one or more cross-pieces resiliently mounted on the frame.

If the point of application of a weight lies nearer one of the side rails, for example the side rail I6, then the other side rail I8, the springs 34, associated with the side rail IB and the two crosspieces between which the weight is imposed, will deflect more than the .corresponding springs suspended from the opposite side rail I8 so that with a weight so disposed the spring will yield to the greatest extent on the side where the weight is placed.

It will be appreciated that my novel spring construction, although comprising relatively few and simple parts, nevertheless closely approximates the correct operation of a furniture spring, that is, it will yield at any local point in almost direct proportion to the amount and position of an applied weight and will only additionally deflect in a limited area around the place where the weight is applied. 'I'his result is obtainable large@ ly because each of the cross-pieces 22 deflects independently of adjacent cross-pieces except to the extent that this deflection imposes a strain K upon the next cross-piece through flexing of the elements 20 connecting the same. f

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for inhibiting swaying of the cross-pieces parallel to the longitudinal axes of the elements 20. Such means is highly desirable since the several cross-pieces are all spring suspended. Said means may comprise vertical wells 44 in the side rails I6, I8 which, although freely receiving the springs 34, prevent transverse play thereof. Additionally the recesses 32 in which the lower ends 30 of the cross-pieces are received can be so proportioned as to prevent appreciable movement of said ends parallel to the longitudinal axes of the resilient elements 20.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified form of my invention comprising a bed spring 5I) essentially similar to the spring Il) described with reference to Figs. l-3, and diil'ering therefrom only in that said-modified spring is wholly fabricated from metal. Said spring comprises a frame consisting of a plurality of channel iron rails 52 which are welded together in the form of a rectangle of conventional dimensions for a bed.

The upper surface of the spring comprises a plurality of thin steel strips 54 running longitudinally of the spring and disposed in closely spaced relationship. These Strips 54 are welded to a plurality of underlying channel irons 56 running across the bed and disposed ai; widely spaced intervals. Riveted to the opposite ends of the channel irons 5B which serve as the stiff crosspieces are Z-irons 58 whose lower horizontal flanges are suspended from helical springs 60 whose upper ends hang from the top flanges of the rails 52. The connection between the springs 60 and flanges of the rails 52 and Z-irons 58 may be of any suitable type and may comprise hooks integrally formed on the ends of the spring which cooperate with pins spanning apertures in said flanges. Said springs pass through apertures in the lower flanges of the channel rails 52 and are nested in tubes 62 welded between their upper and lower flanges of the rails 52 to prevent swaying of the Z-irons 58 longitudinally cf the bed spring.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a furniture spring which achieves the several objects of this invention, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

, As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and' as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by'Letters Patent: l

l. A furniture spring comprising a hollow frame including 'side rails and head and foot rails joined in the shape 0f a right-angled parallelogram, a plurality of elongated resilient closely spaced parallel elements having flat top surfaces, said elements running parallel to one of said rails, all of said elements being disposed above said frame, a plurality of cross-pieces underlying and supporting said elements, means to rigidly secure said elements to said cross-pieces, said crosspieces being arranged to lie parallel to and spaced from one another and to extend transversely of the longitudinal axes of said elements, means extending from the opposite ends of said crosspieces and lying beneath said side rails, and helical springs connecting said means and said side rails whereby said cross-pieces are suspended from said frame, said springs being disposed in vertical wells in said frame having an internal diameter slightly larger than the external diameter of said springs whereby substantial lateral movement and side sway of the cross-pieces is prevented. I

2. A spring comprising a frame including four channel iron rails rigidly secured to each other in the shape of a right-angled parallelogram, each of said rails including a vertically disposed base flange having horizontally disposed flanges at its upper and lower edges, a plurality of flat metal strips arrangedin closely spaced parallel relationship and parallel to one of said channel iron rails, a plurality of parallel, widely spaced iron cross-pieces for supporting said strips, said crosspieces being arranged transversely of the longitudinal axes of said strips, said strips and said cross-pieces being rigidly connected to each other, Z-irons each having their upper horizontal flanges secured to the end of one of the cross-pieces, each of said Z-irons having a lower horizontal flange disposed beneath the lower horizontal flanges of one of the channel irons, and a helical spring connecting each lower horizontal flange of a Z-iron to` an upper horizontal flange of a channel iron, said springs passing freely through apertures in the lower flanges of the channel irons and being nestably disposed in tubes running between and rigidly secured to the upper and lower flanges of said channel irons, the inner diameter oi said tubes being slightly larger than the external diameter of said springs whereby substantial lateral movement and side sway of said cross-pieces is prevented.

3. A furniture spring comprising an open frame including a pair of parallel side rails and a pair of parallel end rails joined in the shape of a right angled parallelogram, a plurality of closely spaced parallel resilient elongated elements extending parallel to said side rails and dening a plane spring surface which is disposed above and is ap proximately the same size as the frame, means for supporting said elements in such position, said supporting means including several relatively stiff elongated members extending transversely of said elements, each of said members being permanently and rigidly secured to each of said elements, one of said members lying adjacent one end rail, another of said members lying adjacent the other end rail, and the remainder of said members being uniformly spaced between said rst two mentioned members, said members having end portions lying below portions of said frame, resilient means to independently suspend each of said end portions from the overlying portion of said frame and means to prevent substantial lateral movement and side sway of said elongated members. I

4; A furniture spring as set forth in claim 3 wherein said members have end portions overlying portions of said frame whereby to support elements which are disposed over the side rails.

5. A furniture spring as set forth in claim 3 Y wherein said suspension means comprises a plurality of helical springs which are disposed in vertical wells in the frame to inhibit swaying of said members, said wells having an internal diameter slightly larger than the external diameter of said springs whereby substantial lateral movement and side sway of said members is prevented.

MORRIS TUCKER. 

